Advertising device.



J. F. CUNNINGHAM. ADVERTISING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV.16,1907.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

advertising device.

JOHN CUNNINGHAM, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 9,1913.

Application filed November 18, 1907. Serial No. 402,567.

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have iii' vented a new and usef Advertising Device, of which the following is a specifica tion, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

v This invention contemplates the use of a clock as an improved advertising medium. It is chiefly concerned with outdoor clocks, such as have been heretofore mounted on posts and allowed to be maintained at the outer edge of sidewalks in some cities'and towns, the same constituting what may be termed landmarks intended to indicate the location of certain business places, andponsequently to draw public attention to the same.

Sidewalk clocks 'mounted in the manner aforesaid have come to be regarded as unwarranted obstructions, and on that account are barred out of many localities, by adverse mifnicipal ordinances. Furthermore, wherever their use is still permitted, by sufferance or otherwise, it is acknowledged that after all they'do not attract'a great deal of attention, probably because as a rule they are placed overhead to one side of the walks, too high above the throngs that pass by to command everybody-s notice.

Itas the purpose of the present invention so to locate, position, and fit up the sidewalk-clock that not the least objection could be raised against it, either on the score of being an obstruction or forfailure to gain an adequate and gratifying share of the public s attention, thereby adaptin it eminently for the discharge of its function asan In t-he drawing, Figure 1 is a top view showing a sidewalk-clock embodying one form of this invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical.

transverse section on the, line A-A of Fig. 1"

The clock, for the 'purpbse of this invention, is to be lodged in the sidewalk itself, with its face turned upward and the'usual plate glass over'its dial set flush with the surface of the walk. The latter, herein designated by the numeral 1', is accordingly opened to provide a sui able aperture, as at 2, which .may be circular. as shown or of any other desirable shape and sufficiently large to permit the installationfofga good and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the same.

sized time-piece and its accessories. The aperture 2 is preferably lined with metal, cast-iron for instance, forming a curb 3 therein, designed to keep in its place the surrounding cement, concrete, stone or brickwork, or other material from which the sidewalk 1 is constructed. An inwardlyprojecting flange 4 is provided around the inner periphery of the curb 3, near the upper margin thereof, and upon it, is placed the outer covering 5 of the clock which covering this invention. admits of being made of highly transparent glass, such as Frenchplate. A rin 6, which may be of wood, is

also fitted to t e inner periphery of the curb,

directly under the flange 4, and the same is made to extend up the flange, and for a short distance on a level therewith under the glass 5, as best seen in Fig. 2, both the flange and the ring being beveled, as at 7, to facilitate the fitting. This ring affords a further support for the glass, and, through a series of recesses 8 cut out of its lower inner edge, provides for the indirect transmission of light past the clock thereunder, as will-presently beunderstood.

.The clocks dial, 9, carrying the hour and minute hands, 10 and 11, on its upturned face, is secured by its edge to the under side of the ring 6, which holds-the dial spaced from the glass thereover enough to insure perfect freedom of movement for the hands,

and sufiiciently remote also from the inner circumference of the curb to avoid covering the light-transmitting recesses 8. This-dial, it will be inferred, is opaque as in ordinary clocks. From the. center of the dial is suspended a small case 12 that contains the works or movement, which may be of any desired manufacture, but by preference will be electrically connected for regulation at fixed intervals from some observatory, so

as t o show the correct time practically always, as the words observatory time inscribed on the face of the dial indicate.

It will now be seen that while it affords means for displaying a clock or clock 'dial conspicuously in the surface of a sidewalk for advertising purposes, the construction above described provides also a vault-light,

in so far as the glass-covered aperture within whichtheCadvert-ising object is displayedtransmits the light from the exterior to any subjacent vault, cellar, or basement that the sidewalk may overlie,-the light passing from above the dial 9 laterally and downtheir wardly through the recesses 8 in the ring 6. The volume of light, of course, will be proportionate to the transparency of the glass plate, its dimensions, and the number of recesses or cut-away portions in the ring, but, though indirectly transmitted, the light, with judicious management, should be as ample, if not more so, than whatis supplied through the ordinary translucent vault-covering. At the same time, the abs'ence of direct transmissionof light precludes the raising of any objection that could otherwise be made upon ethical grounds to the use of transparent glass. I

The above-described recesses 8 are further used as pockets wherein are mounted as'many lamps 18 (preferably incandescent electric) which provide the artificial-light required to illumine the face of the dial by night, as well as the vault or apartment beneath. Reflective surfaces also are formed or placed, as at 1% and 15, above and by the side of each lamp on the walls of the pocket containing each, to cast a stronger light both over the surface of the dial-plate and into the underlying vault or apartment.

ny appropriate advertising matter bal or pictorial) may around the clock, and with or without the words observatory time hereinbefore mentioned. The clock alone might constitute a suflicient advertisement in. some instances, but theaddition of a name, a line of script or print, an illustration, and the like will hardly ever be considered surplus age while often it may be a valuable adjunct. Thus, the simple announcement Safe deposit vaults, shown in Fig. 1, though it may not be needed to convey the information that such vaults are situated on the same premises where the clock is located, to those already familiar with the surroundings, yet it may impart the information for the first time to many, and to all it will be a constant reminder, as they catch a glimpse of the clock and pass on, or gaze upon its dial and perhaps stop long enough to'set time pieces in accordance with its chronometric indications, that close at hand there is open to them a reliable place where they can store away their money, jewelry, and other treasures.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: V

1. An advertising clock with a non-transparent dial located in a light-giving aper- (verbe displayed upon or ture at said ring having one .partly level therewith,

ture, a casing therefor having a tortuous channel and means for holding said dial in a position whereby the view through the aperture is obstructed and light is admitted beyond the dial through said tortuous channel.

2. A device of the character described comprising a casing provided with tortuous passages set within an aperture in a sidewalk laid over a vault, an advertising clock therein positioned face up in the aperture and adapted to close the same save one or more of said tortuouspassages permitting the transmission of light beyond the clock, and a transparent glass cover common to both the clock and the aperture.

3. An adyertising device comprising an apertured surface, a clock in the aperture, a transparent glass cover for the aperture and clock therein, a ring adapted to prevent the direct passage of light through the glass cover beyond the clocks dial, said ring being cut away to form one or more pockets in its inner side and under surface, and one or more lamps lodged in the pocket 'or pockets.

4. An advertising device comprising an apertured surface, a clock in the aperture, a transparent glass cover closing the apera suitable distance from the clocks dial, a ring extending inward over the edge of the dial'and outwardly under the cover, or more recesses in its inner edge and under surface forming one or more pockets therein, a reflective surface in each pocket, and a lamp lodged in the pocket opposite said reflective surface.

5. An advertising device comprising a suitably-apertured surface over a vault, an inwardl -flanged curb in the aperture, a transparent glass cover seated flush with the surface on the flange of said curb, a ring within the curb partly under its flange and 1n the aperture with its dial extending to the inner edge of said ring, amps in cutaway portions of the ring, and reflectors for said lamps to direct the rays emanating therefrom across the face of the cloclgs dial and into the vault beneath.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

JNO. F. CUNNINGHAM; L. s.] Witnesses: H. ODENTHALL, W.

a clock suspended 

